English
ink
Ink comes from Latin encaustum ‘purple ink used by Roman emperors to sign…’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον ‘burned-in’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔγκαυστονénkauston‘burned-in’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEencaustum‘purple ink used by Roman emperors to sign documents’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enque
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ynke
- Englishearliest quotation 1667ink
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔγκαυστονénkauston‘burned-in’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEencaustum‘purple ink used by Roman emperors to sign documents’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enque
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ynke
- Englishearliest quotation 1667ink
Earliest quotation: 1667, April 26th, 1667: “While I was waiting for him in the Matted…”
A compound of ἐν ‘in’ + καίω ‘burn’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’
Ancient Greek ἐν ‘in’
Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w- ‘to burn’
Proto-Hellenic *káwyō
Ancient Greek καίω ‘burn’
The story
In this sense, displaced native Old English blæc (“ink”, literally “black”). Sense four refers to the ink used in newspapers.
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον
Today it means
noun A pigment (or dye)-based fluid used for writing, printing etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἔγκαυστον / ink